Tuesday, April 16, 2013

"Let Go" and "Get Up"

My toddler has started to use sentences. She may have been using sentences for a long time, but I can finally understand two of her sentences. They are "Let go!" and "Get up!" She makes a lot of very interesting sounds, which I am sure she thinks I can understand, but I just can't.

Last night I understood her perfectly when her five year-old brother had one of her legs pinned down with his leg. She yelled at him, "Let go!" I could understand it, so I told my son to let her go. This morning, my ten year-old accidentally sat on her leg. She once again proclaimed, "Let go!" He laughed and asked me if I heard what she just said. I said yes. It was very clear. When my daughter came in, he grabbed my toddler by the arm and told my eight year-old daughter to listen. When my toddler yelled, "Let go!" The kids got a good laugh out of it.

She also knows exactly what she wants. If she can't get it, for example, it is in the refrigerator, she will come over to me and say "Get up!" I will take her by the hand and she will lead me to where she wants to go. She enjoys being able to bring me places she wants to go in the house. She likes that she can let me know what she wants. It is nice that she is getting to an age where she can communicate some of her wants to me.

It is fun seeing how all of the children interact with each other. The children will all sit together and watch a show. They will play roll the ball. They range in age from 1 1/2 to 10 years-old, but they all enjoy playing together. They will watch shows together. My toddler's favorite show seems to be "Spongebob Squarepants." She has watched it since birth because that is a favorite of all the children.

After the events at the Boston Marathon yesterday, I pondered, once again, how fragile life is. A young child, age 8, was murdered as explosions went off. His sister became an amputee and his mother suffered a brain injury. This all happened as they waited for the father/husband to cross the finish line. Many months, if not years, went into this man's training. Many hours, much dedication! I know the excitement the children were feeling as they waited for their daddy to cross the finish line. I know the pride the mother was feeling as she waited for her husband to cross the finish line. Everything changed in a second. It just isn't right!

I am a runner. I am not a fast runner, but I am a runner. I have finished two marathons. My children, at the end of my second marathon, were waiting for me about 20 yards from the finish line. My husband and mother were there too. They were holding signs, cheering me on. As I crossed the finish line, they were there. They were giving me hugs and telling me how proud they were of me.

If the explosions had happened at the marathon I ran, my three children (at the time), my husband and my mother could have been injured or dead. That was my thought as I watched, repeatedly, the coverage from yesterday. When I saw how close it was to the finish line, I knew there would be injured children. Children are always at the finish line waiting for their parent(s) to cross the finish line. My children were my biggest supporters! I spent hours a week running. They would spend that time with their grandparents, if my husband was at work, or they would spend it with my husband. They never complained about the time I spent away. They knew it was good for my health, both physically and mentally.

My heart breaks for the runners, their families, and all the spectators. My heart breaks for Boston. Let us remember the fragility of life. Let us love each other accordingly. There is no reason for this to ever happen.